Ares' Ranch
by Kailor Aurelius
Summary: When Gabrielle suffers a break-up, her sister convinces her she needs to take a vacation. But there's more to this "ranch resort" than meets the eye.


**Kailor: Hello! My first stab at a Xena fanfic here! Just rewatched the first two seasons and on my way to watch the rest of them. But this little idea jumped in my head and I couldn't resist! So I hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!**

"Robin, just stop."

But the brunette kept talking. Kept yelling. "What do you want from me, Gabby? I'm sorry. I've apologized so many times already. She kissed me. I don't know why I kissed back. I'm sorry!" She threw her hands up, storming out the door into the night, leaving the blonde in the living room.

"What do I want?" Gabrielle followed her, starting to yell herself. "How about a faithful girlfriend!"

"I'm sorry!" she screamed. "Just hate me. Let me go. I'll leave and you never have to see me again."

Gabrielle shook her head. Thunder crashed above and rain started to fall, splattering into the front yard. Robin circled back toward the front door, away from the weather, putting herself between Gabrielle and the house.

"Or what?" Robin stepped into her, forcing her back. "Do you want me to stay? Do you want me to keep hurting you? Maybe I wouldn't if you weren't so easy to get back."

"Shut up." Gabrielle knocked her shoulder into one of the brick porch supports, stumbling back into the rain.

Robin stalked after her, driving her farther into the yard. She looked angry enough to hit her. Gabrielle almost wished she would. "You're jealous of _everything._" She sneered. "You never trust me!"

"Because every time I do, you go fuck some random asshole, Robin!" She fought back. Shoving her wet hair back, she yelled through the rain. "You'll never change!"

"Then why did you call me here? If I'll never change, then why even try to talk this out? Just give up on me." Robin screamed, even stomping her foot into the freshly made mud. "What. Do. You. Want."

"I want to hurt you, goddammit!"

She stopped. Gabrielle stopped. They both stood there, their clothes growing heavier as they filled with water. Gabrielle was breathing heavy, like she'd been running. Maybe the cold had taken her breath.

Robin stepped closer. "Then hit me." She grabbed Gabrielle's hand and the blonde yanked back, shaking her head. "Hit me, Gabby. Hurt me. I want you to."

"No." Gabrielle shoved her away. "I don't want to hit you."

"Then what do you want?"

"I want to break your heart, Robin." Gabrielle wasn't yelling anymore. She was almost whispering. Robin leaned in to hear better. "I want to break your heart. Make you cry. I want to see you get angry or jealous because I'm hanging all over someone else."

"Why?" she asked, throwing her arms apart and flinging water across the yard.

"Because it'd show that you care or something. Anything. Show me that I affect you. That you give a damn about me."

Robin sighed, shaking her head. "You don't make any sense. I cheated on you. Why do you give a damn what I feel?"

"I want to know I haven't wasted the last two years trying to make you feel something for me!" Gabrielle shoved her again. And again. Backed her up toward the house. Robin tripped and landed flat on her back, splashing. "How do you not feel anything?" Gabrielle raged, standing over her.

"I do feel something," she said. "I love you. That's why I can't stay with you."

XXXXXXX

Gabrielle awoke to the smell of pancakes. She sat up, moaning in a fairly impressive impersonation of the Frankenstein monster. She blinked around her bedroom, realizing it was already quite bright outside. The alarm clock told her it was eleven. Her bedroom door opened and her sister, Lila, entered. Her brunette hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore a flowery apron and a huge grin. She plopped a full laundry basket onto the foot of the bed and said, "Morning, sleepyhead!"

Gabrielle just blinked at her. "It is way too early to be friendly, Lila."

"C'mon, Gabby. You just went through a break-up! Someone needs to be all happy and chipper for you!"

Gabrielle thought about the night before in the rain. "Thanks for the reminder." She glanced at her bedside table and realized her picture of Robin was gone. "Lila, what have you been doing?"

Lila paused her folding. "De-Robin-ing the house. And doing your laundry. And I cleaned up your living room. Breakfast is nearly done."

The blonde groaned. "Lila, you can't just take it upon yourself to rid my house of my ex-girlfriend and- and -well, you can do the rest of the stuff anytime you want. No complaints there."

"Seems _she _rid your house of herself," Lila said, raising an eyebrow. "She cheated on you, Gabby. You need to forget about her."

"And taking away all the pictures of her will do that?" Gabrielle tossed her legs over the side of the bed and stood, rubbing her face. "You might as well burn my house down. We were together for two years."

"Not consecutive years," Lila corrected. "You spent more time off than on." She moved to the kitchen to check on the pancakes. "AND! I have a solution for you that will not require arson!"

Gabrielle followed her sister. With the smell of pancakes and bacon in her nostrils, she sat at the bar, yawning.

"Voila, sweet sister." Lila smacked a pamphlet down on the counter in front of her. "Say hello to your escape!"

Gabrielle took the pamphlet, staring down at the bold print on the cover. "'Need an escape from all the buzz and bustle of the city?'" she read aloud. "'Need to connect with that part of you that turns up the radio when you hear Tim McGraw? Come to Ares' Ranch!'" She looked over the pamphlet at her sister. "That part of me that turns up the radio when I hear Tim McGraw? Lila, what the hell is this?"

Lila grabbed the pamphlet and opened it. "Look at this place, Gabby! It's like a country resort. It's only a state away. You get to watch the sun rise over mountains. They have horseback riding. A hot tub. Scary stories around bonfires. Real-life ranch hands running around shirtless."

"Lila, I think you've forgotten I'm gay-"

"They also have morning work-out sessions. Maybe that will get you out of bed before noon."

"Lila," Gabrielle cut her sister off. "Does anything about me scream, 'I wanna live on a ranch'?" She bent and seized her tabby cat, Nala. "I own a cat, Lila."

Lila turned back to the stove. "Ranchers own cats."

"Not cats that have had their claws removed so they don't scratch up the owner's bunny slippers." Nala stalked across the counter top, watching as Lila moved the pancakes to a plate.

The brunette turned and placed the plate in front of Gabrielle, swatting Nala away. "Leave it, devil creature." She sat across from her sister. "Look, bottom line is you need to get out of here for a while. Forget Robin. This place is pretty cheap, compared to others. And you could even get some writing done."

Gabrielle leafed through the pamphlet again, staring at the little pictures. "My editor has been on my ass recently."

"Exactly," Lila poured a pile of bacon onto Gabrielle's plate. "You need this, Gabby. Mom said she will even watch Nala while we're gone."

"She hate cats. Like you."

"But she loves you." Lila reached across the counter and grabbed Gabrielle's hand. "Please say you'll do it. Just come and relax. Get some writing done. Get a tan. Get yourself some sexy cowgirl booty, I don't care. Just get out of here and forget Robin for a while."

Gabrielle stared at her sister's pleading eyes, then glanced back down at the pamphlet. "It does promise unforgettable three-course meals. And I'm running out of Lean Cuisines." She sighed. "Fine, I'll try. I need to call my editor first-"

"Already did." Lila reached into her pocket and pulled out a bus ticket. "He thinks it's a brilliant idea. And I called the ranch this morning and reserved us rooms for a month."

"A month! Lila!"

"Quiet, woman. You've already agreed." Lila said. "And I've already paid."

"Lila," Gabrielle said, shaking her head. "I can't let you pay for this."

Her sister waved her protests away. "It wasn't that bad. And I've been saving that money for something like this anyways."

Gabrielle picked up the pamphlet. "You've been saving your money, knowing I would need to go to- what was it- 'Ares' Ranch'?"

Lila shrugged. "Maybe. But we leave Tuesday. So let's get packing."

Gabrielle sighed into her pancakes as Lila moved to the fridge to pour them a couple glasses of milk. She made sure the brunette heard her. But she smiled when her sister wasn't looking.


End file.
